Overwatch : The Birth of a New Group
by RuGaard98
Summary: After the last prison break near Numbani, Angela Ziegler decides to move in the city for a while to help the citizens recover from the city's siege. One day, things do not go well for her.
1. Chapter 1 : Code Black

A strident ringing woke Angela up. She could never get used to it, but it was the best way of waking herself up every morning. She stood in her bed, still half asleep looking though her phone to see what she had missed out during the night… not much.  
She got through her everyday routine, starting with a cold shower to wake herself up, then as she stood out of the bathroom, she noticed a message sent to her computer, which she opened up. It was her assistant at Numbani's General Hospital sending her a new report for a patient that had arrived this morning. What kind of mess did that person put themselves into? she wondered. She opened the complete file to find an elaborate hologram showing her the damage, mostly in the left shoulder and the arm. Nothing a simple operation wouldn't be able to fix really, plus a few days in bed should make him anew. She sent her recommandation of medication to ease the pain, stating she was on her way, then proceeded to get prepared.  
Since the end of the Omnic Crisis, she had been all over the world trying to repair the damage done by the war. After all of that, she wanted to go back to Switzerland, to her original laboratory, to keep going with her experiment, only to be warned of the new prison break near Numbani. She knew she had to do something about it.  
Although Winston clearly objected to her going to Numbani for a while at least, she was unstoppable when she wanted something done. Those people were in trouble, what kind of doctor, let alone hero, was she if she didn't help restore and heal the people of a city that had been under siege not so long ago?  
And so here she was, in a very small apartment that, nonetheless, wasn't bad. She didn't want a big, obvious and ego-inducing place to sleep. She was mostly in the hospital anyways and she didn't need as much space as her laboratory, where she would keep all of her equipment.  
Still, she had a few gadgets up her sleeve that she though of bringing in case thing became a bit too dangerous. Her caduceus staff was always next to her bed, although she had disassembled it. She knew the power of such a tool, but the danger that also came with it. The staff was a tool for the mortally wounded on the battlefield, not to cure a cold. Even so, she decided to remove the connecter and attach it to her wrist, the top of the staff that would usually create the beam was not as powerful without the rest of the staff, but it was still useful if someone needed immediate medical attention.  
She glanced over her armor, her self repairing suit that she used to wear in battle. She had left her wings at her laboratory, finding no need of such a tech which once again was mostly used on the battlefield. Although they were really useful, they were really fragile and power-hungry. She resolved to using them only to come to the direct aid of those in need.  
With most of her equipment away, she though she would better hide among the crowds, even though she knew her face was very recognizable. She hesitate, once at the door, to left her pistol, but chose to keep it. There were some talks about some parts of the city not being safe lately.  
The walk to the hospital was short, a few streets only. The road was clear, with the new models of the OR-15 roaming though the streets, greeting everyone with friendly words. Humans and Omnics were walking on the same pavement, something that kept warming Angela's heart.  
She walked past the old airport which was still under reconstruction even tough the attack had taken place two weeks ago. Large screens which displayed the news on the streets had great headlines about the return of Overwatch, the mysterious signal that had been received from the lunar colony and a current state of warning around certain parts of the city.  
Angela entered Numbani's General Hospital and, in the glimpse of a moment, became Doctor Ziegler for the day. With all of her equipment and her uniform ready, she started her day at work.  
As the best doctor in Numbani, she was often given many patients at the same time, with the new inclusion to her list this morning. She went to greet the young man and offered him the list of treatment and the amount of time expected for the recovery. She then went on to visit each of her patients, offering to the nurses the medication necessary and zipping though the place, she had over three dozens patients to see in eight hours, which was very demanding even for a « hero » like her.  
They were time when her job was more demanding and, even dare she say it, a bit boring. Although she would never replace it with what she did in the past, everything seemed too easy at times. The idea of developing new methods of taking care of people was exciting, interesting, but here, all she had to do was to give the right treatment and medication to each and every one and let the nurses do the work, only to file some papers and documents at the end of the day.  
Sometime, though, her day was lightened up though her coworker or when she would find friendly and interesting patients. She liked treating Omnic more often, since they were about healing and mechanics at the same time, a domain she still needed some help that, in the past, was easily provided by her old friend Torbjörn. She also remembered treating a little girl who couldn't stop calling her after her old codename « Mercy » which was heart melting to her. The hospital knew who she was and what she had done in the past, but she firmly objected for them to use her old persona in the workplace, since she didn't want to take any risks. Although she did once see a poster with her famous words « Heroes never die » put onto the main hall, which made her blush at first sight.  
While she was examining the result of one of yesterday's operation she had to do, the interphone sounded with a nurse repeating the words : « _Warning : Code Green on the first floor._ »  
A Code Green? It was unconventional to hear, so much that she nearly had forgotten about it's meaning : a preventive evacuation.  
She excused herself to her patient, stating she would be back soon, only to go behind the counter and ask : « What is about that green alert? Is there something going on?  
\- I don't know much about it, the nurse answered, only that the security cameras are not working properly. Something's tampering with them.  
\- Tampering? » she asked, more for herself than anything else.  
She decided to take a call onto the security department to see what was happening. What she heard only made her more anxious. « _Someone is trying to get into the security system, we are currently looking for a way to localize that person, said the officer_.  
\- Have they reached many cameras yet?  
\- They are not that interested in the cameras, they seem to be trying to… »  
The phone cut, leaving Angela with a strange gut feeling that something was about to happen. « We need a code green on all floors, she told the nurse at the computer.  
\- Doctor Ziegler, the phones do not work anymore, I don't think we can send messages on the interphone anymore.  
\- Then evacuate this floor, I'll go and prevent the others too.  
\- But Doctor Ziegler, we do not have the permission…  
\- Someone is attacking our security system! This establishment isn't safe anymore. »  
She went on without hearing the nurse's answer. She rushed to the elevator while the people who heard they conversation started to wake people up and slowly evacuate.  
Angela got to the elevator only to find out that the lights that were showing the first and second floor were flickering, it was best not to taunt her luck, she took the stairs to the fifth floor.  
As she entered the department, an electronic voice spoke out of the interphone, the ones used in emergency cases. « _Warning… Code… Not a…_ »  
She couldn't make out the words who were getting distorted. She got to the first corridor, where nurses were trying to calm down the patients. One of them, an Omnic, was doing it's best to prevent some children from panicking. « We need to evacuate, now! » she claimed firmly as the voice from the interphone spoke once more. « _War… Code Black… Not a Test…_ »  
A Code Black, instantly, the nurses started to evacuate while Angela, sure that the other floors would start to do the same after hearing about the code, went to help them. « We need to get the beds out first or they'll get in the way, stated a nurse.  
\- We can't get the beds, the elevator may not be safe. Take the litters instead.  
\- Doctor, there are too many… »  
She couldn't finish her sentence, an explosion shook the hospital, along with it, a loud sound and a white wave of light went though the walls and up the celling. The lights and computer shut down, with the Omnic in the corridor falling down immediately. Some of them who were helping people move around brought them on the floor with them and the one who was trying to calm down the children fell face down, with the kids crying over the explosion.  
It was only then that the gunfire started.  
At first, they were distant, happening under their feet, but they were distinct, with horrible screams to follow them up. Then, the main entrance was kicked open and with it came the sounds of automatic riffles. Angela jumped down, bringing the nurse with her, then crawled behind the counter, pulling out her gun. « We need to take the emergency exit, now! She said.  
The nurse nodded, shaking and barely able to stand on her knees. Shots were fired, and Angela readied her blaster. « When I say go, run to the exit, understood? »  
She didn't have the time to answer, something pushed Angela against the wall. She couldn't make out what it was, but a sensation of being chocked forced her to put her hand on her neck.  
A figure started materializing in front of her, holding her by the neck. A young women who she had never seen before, brown skinned with half of her head shaved only to show cybernetic enhancements all over her skull. She smiled at her. « There you are, we've been looking for you… »


	2. Chapter 2 : The Widow's Kiss

She woke up in a room she couldn't make up. Whoever had caught her made sure she couldn't see where they were going only to inject her a substance that made her loose consciousness.  
After a few seconds, her vision became clear enough to see what was around her. She was strapped to a chair with a lightbulb right over her head. In front of her, she could see a table with all sorts of instruments, a large monitor which displayed a hologram of the Earth could also be seen, it being the only other source of light with the lightbulb in the room. She couldn't make out much of the tools or the instructions written on the walls all around the room.  
She had been kidnapped, she figured out. She couldn't feel her blaster on her belt, nor her caduceus beam on her arm. In fact, she had been stripped of everything except her clothes. She tried to test out the ropes that held her to the chair, but they were too tight for her to do anything about it. Still, she started slowly pulling onto them, in the hope that it would slowly but surely loosen up.  
She could hear footsteps coming from the floor on top of hers, she wasn't alone. In front of her, a door was held shut, with a small window on it that displayed a fainted light coming from the other side. She had to find a plan to get out of here.  
Her only hope was her global locator which she always had in her pocket, but aside with the rest of her equipment, it had been taken. Maybe it could be on one of those table?  
She tried to pull her body up front to move the chair, but it was a heavy metal chair and moving it would take a while, especially with her hands and her feet both stranded to it.  
She could hear footsteps coming from the door and stood still, faking unconsciousness. She heard someone enter the room. With the sound of heels, she could distinguish a woman that walked slowly, calmly. She went around the room, then on the monitor, then finally went up to her. Angela kept her eyes shut, waiting for an answer.  
She felt a strain of water drip on the back of her neck and « woke » up, only to be greeted by a face that shocked her : it was Amelie Lacroix.  
« What on Earth happened to you… » she mumbled.  
Amelie didn't answer, her skin was purple and her face was no longer the one she used to see back in the days. This women had the face of a murderer, with cold, bright green eyes that had turned yellow and the look of a predator. Without a word, she went around her with calculated steps. It was only then that Angela noticed her blaster on her belt, and the sniper riffle on her back.  
A cold finger touched her ear, making her shiver, only to slowly run across her hair and behind her neck. She could feel her nails slowly scratching her skin as if they where claws. She went all around her in what seemed like an eternity, only to finally be greeted once again by those eyes, those who clearly showed it was no longer Amelie. Her finger had finally run all the way around her neck and ended on her chin, where she gently lifted her face to her level. « I expect you'll be cooperative, said the woman, or else we might have to hurt you very, very badly. »  
Her voice was smooth, sensual, but terrifying. Her french accent kept reminding Angela about who she used to be, the old times of Overwatch. If she though she had changed over the years, she couldn't make out how horrible Amelie's life must have been. « Am I going to endure what they did to you? » she answered.  
While at first, her eyebrows had slightly curved down, she instead opted for a small grin. « Are you afraid of that?  
\- Should I? Tell me. You are the one who suffered through it. »  
She laughed, not a great laugh, a subtle one. « You'll find out if you don't cooperate. »  
She was playing with her, she knew about that. « I know what you want. I won't tell you anything.  
\- Not right now, of course, she said, but after a few… adjustments, we'll see about it. »  
She took a knife she kept on her belt, it had a small, but sharp silvery blade and a black, scaly handle. « First, let's see if what we've gathered about you is true… »  
Angela looked her in the eyes as she slowly brought the blade to her cheek and meticulously cut her skin, leaving a warm trail of blood down her chin. She did not budge, knowing it would get worse over time. The woman stood back and cleaned her blade and, after a few seconds, the skin on her cheek closed up, yellow and blue light seemingly sewing it back and leaving a small scar that started fading away. « Interesting, to say the least, » she said with a grin.  
Her own cybernetic enhancement were never truly a public affair. Along with her Caduceus staff, she had her skin modified to contain small chips that would cure her through the same technology she had created. One of her old experiment that she had to try on herself first before testing it out on other human beings that ended up being rejected by the Overwatch leaders for the risky procedure and high risk of death if the chips were not well placed, all along with the tension of using nano-robotic during and after the Omnic crisis.  
Whoever that woman was working for, they had information about her that she shared with the Overwatch leaders since her own enhancement were never made public. The first word that came to her mind was Talon, only strengthening her choice to remain silent.  
« Now tell me, where are they? » the woman asked while slowly approaching her knife.  
She was talking about the other Overwatch agents. Winston, Genji, Tracer, Ana and so on. With the recent call upon all of those agents all around the world, she figured that Talon must've decide to compromise anything that they would be trying to do. She heard about the murder of the Mondatta leader through the likes of Lena who witnessed it first hand and knew that the agent she had in front of her was nicknamed Widowmaker, a highly skilled assassin of Talon. Giving her or any of Talon's agents the location of her coworker would ultimately lead to their death. « I will die before I betray my oath to keep the world safe, its protectors included. »  
Widowmaker stood back and tilted her head, visibly not impressed by her attitude. She started all over again, calmly walking around her while saying : « Here is your situation. You have nowhere to go, no way of leaving this place. We have your global locator and our agents are currently in the process of hacking it. You have two choices : give us the information right now, or force us to get it by ourselves which will only make your treatment even worse. »  
She stood behind her and Angela could feel her head go over her shoulder. She felt a cold and moist breath in her neck and arms slowly wrapping themselves around her body. She heard whisper in her ear. « If you though one of these option was a winning one for you, you must be very disappointed right now.  
\- Your treats won't make me talk. If you want to torture me, then do it. I made a promise of never causing harm and I stand to that promise. »  
She felt hands touching her body, making her uncomfortable. Her heart was beating quicker while Widowmaker's head gently rubbed against hers.  
She felt the knife on her throat and sweat started dripping from her forehead. « If I cut your throat, do you think your skin would just fix itself? Should we try and see for ourselves? »  
She felt the adrenaline rush in her vein and instinctively tried to get up, run for her life. At this very moment, she suddenly doubted herself, if she could actually keep her silence, if she wouldn't crack open. That feeling was horrible. Fear, anxiety, cowardice, all of those feelings were pumping though her veins, for she knew the answer to her question.  
Widowmaker pushed her blade deep into her skin, so much that she started feeling blood slowly pouring out, but she didn't slice. She removed the blade and Angela sighted, feeling ill with butterfly in her stomach. She felt like throwing up.  
She didn't expect the blade to instead to for her lap and directly into her right leg. She screamed a horrible screech that must've been heard all across the building as the blade went deeply into her flesh. « _Ça pique, n'est-ce pas?*_ » the woman whispered in her ear, holding the knife tightly onto her leg.  
Angela teared up and held a second scream, shaking and trying to get away from her grasp. She panted and tried to keep her calm as warm blood slowly covered her leg and fell onto the floor. « They say that a spider's bite is very painful, so much that it can kill most people within hours, » Widowmaker said.  
She remove the knife quickly and firmly, leaving more blood behind and pulling out a second scream from Angela. « Let's see how long you can endure the widow's kiss. »  
She cleaned the blade on Angela's clothes only to finally get back up and slowly exit the room. The lights in the room shut, leaving Angela in the dark, in pain and covered in her own blood.

*A line in french. It means : "That stings, does it?"


	3. Chapter 3 : Ay, pobrecita

The hardest part must've been to fall asleep while stranded on a chair with an open wound. Her cybernetic enhancement could only do much to repair surface tissues, but they were not powerful enough to heal a stab wound.  
Waking up seemed even worse. Her muscles were sore, she couldn't stretch herself, she couldn't rest very well and her leg felt even worse, with a felling of intense pain whenever she tried to move it a bit. She felt weak and sick but mostly, she was thirsty. She didn't realize that she hadn't drink any water for a day already and only now did she started feeling the consequences.  
She was still in the same room, but she wasn't alone. Someone was at one of the table, preoccupied by whatever was on it. Angela took some time to regain all of her senses and notice a weird smell, she hope it wasn't her wound.  
A glimpse to her right revealed what that smell was : a large, fresh piece of meat was hanging from a hook next to her, slowing spinning on one side, then the next, with a large open cut in the middle of it.  
She could hear some mumbles in front of her, with the person at the table talking to themselves, although she couldn't make out the words, they seemed to be in spanish.  
She could identify a woman once again, but thankfully it wasn't Widowmaker. Instead, the vibrant purple color on her head reminded her of the girl who had caught her in the hospital. She was young, younger than her at least, and seemed to be working on some sort of…  
Her Caduceus staff!  
What was she doing with the entire staff? She clearly left it at her house in Numbani. All sorts of emotions passed through her with the vision of her healing device. The girl got up and tested it out : a short beam of light got out and searched for a target only to be deactivated. « _Asústame, Panteón_. »  
She went to the piece of meat and activated the beam only to see it quickly recover the large cut in the flesh. « _¡Ja! ¡Me la rifé!_ »  
She turned around and noticed Angela starring at her staff. « Oh! You're awake! »  
The girl leaned onto the staff and looked at her from head to toe. « _Ay, pobrecita._ They really messed you up now, did they?  
\- Who are you? she mumbled as an answer.  
\- Let's just say that I work here, alright? Look, no hard feeling about the hospital. I was doing my job and you were doing yours. »  
Angela frowned her eyebrows, who was she to talk about horrible things like that just like… « No hard feelings? You… you murdered people.  
\- Now me? I only hacked the system. It was the boss and the others who shot people down. I was doing my job.  
\- You helped them. They got in and killed hundreds of people because of you. Elderly people, sick people, women and children. The EMP killed hundreds of staff members.  
\- The EMP didn't kill everyone. I know, I'm the one who did it. It was a small one that shut them down for a few minutes.  
\- Don't you understand that these people died because of you?  
\- I do, but I got used to it. People die everyday, even more people died during the Omnic crisis.  
\- Those people were innocent.  
\- No one is truly innocent, you know. Plus, we didn't kill that many people, most of them were just injured. I think you are making this into much more that what it is.  
\- How can you talk about bombing a hospital as if it wasn't much?  
\- Listen. I do what I have to to survive. I've done worse than that and many other would've done even more damage. We needed you, we went to get you. If you knew you were in danger, you shouldn't've hid inside a hospital.  
\- You're a monster…  
\- Eh, I've heard worse. »  
She got to the table and wrote down some notes on the table. « Plus, if the hospital had a better security system, they would've gotten away with it. Same goes for your staff and your equipment.  
\- You stole that from me.  
\- Who thinks of hiding such powerful technology behind a five number security code? You know, any computer with the worse kind of hardware could've figured that out in a few seconds. You're lucky I'm the one who found it first.  
\- Lucky?  
\- Yeah, I'll now how to use it at least. Plus, now you know where it is. Imagine coming home and some random guy had broke into your apartment, stole all your stuff and just sell it for a high price. You'd never find it again. »  
That girl sounded so overconfident in everything she said, Angela couldn't stand her and her casual ways of talking about such horrible things. Now she had her Caduceus staff and she had no way of knowing what she would do with it. Did she also had her Valkyrie suit? She had a spare one hidden inside her apartment which, she had figured out by now, had been sacked.  
« Plus, you're also pretty lucky that the boss wants you. You know why I'm working out your staff? The boss wasn't very fond of what Widow made to you. He asked me to find out a way to make your staff work so that we could heal you and all.  
\- Give it to me and I'll make it myself.  
\- Ha! You really think I'm gonna fall for that? I though you were a genius scientist. But again, if you hide your stuff with such weak security… »  
She finished writing her note and got to her. She kneeled to see the wound on her leg. « Well that sucks now, does it.  
\- You act like you're so much better than everyone, do you?  
\- Now hold on, you're the one who's strapped onto that chair, you know? »  
She touched her wound which made her cringe and pant. « Yeah that looks pretty sensitive. Let's just hope it didn't get infected or anything.  
\- It's not. » She said, knowing her enhancement could at least clean up the wound.  
« Well, let's try it out then, » she said while pointing the staff at her.  
She sent the beam of yellow light which englobed her leg, found the wound and proceed to quickly close it. Angela could feel her leg become numb as the nerves were shut down around it by the nano robots. A few seconds later and the wound was closed, leaving only the dried blood leaving a brown trail all over her leg.  
« _De pelos_ , the girl said. I wanted to try it on me first, by cutting my arm or something, but I was to afraid that you'd trapped it with something like fingerprint recognition, so I spend the night neutralizing all the security system from it and now, it's mine.  
\- You don't deserve to use such tools.  
\- If I know how to use it, then I have all the rights to do so. »  
She got back to the table, then said. « Also, I don't want to be this kind of girl, but you know what that staff means right? »  
Angela frowned and the girl said. « Basically, Widow can do all the things she wants to do on you and she'll be able to heal you up and act as if it never happened. »  
He heart stopped for half a second at that though. They were using her inventions against her. « Well that is, of course, if I let her do it, you know. Here's what I'm trying to tell you. According to the boss, you're not dying in here, but you are going to suffer. I'm not like them, or like anyone here. I'm ready to have a little chat, you know? »  
She went back to Angela, leaving the staff on the table, and kneeled to be facing her. « I've heard a lot of things about you, Mercy. Lots an lots of good things. You're the kind of person that people would want as friend. It just so happen that I really like making new friends. The deal is simple. I don't let them use the staff to hurt you and in exchange, when they'll eventually release you, we'll keep contact. Who knows if you might get a second staff, after all, I am good with technology. »  
Her eyes were the one of a thief, a girl that knew she had everything under her control. « I won't be making any deals with terrorists like you, Angela claimed, with anger in her voice.  
\- Is that so? Alright then. Let's hope they won't go too hard on you. »  
She got up and went back to her table. Angela got all the energy she had left to say firmly. « I need water. »  
The girl looked at her and sighted. « Of course you do.  
She took a water bottle and brought to her, uncapped it and brought it to her lips, only to stop right in front of her and say : « Actually… »  
She held the bottle on top of her head and forced her to look up to the light. « Open up and say « Ah. »  
That girl was treating her like an animal, but she needed the water, she did as she was told and receive a slim stream of water. She felt refreshed and better while the girl simply answered. « _Mucho mejor_. Now remember, my offer is still up. »  
She finally reached down, looked her in the eyes and added. « Call me Sombra. » She then got back to her table, put on some earphones and blasted some music that Angela could hear all the way from her chair. At least she wasn't being tortured this time.

*From the Overwatch Wiki* :  
 _¡Asústame, Panteón!_ : Show me what you've got  
 _¡Ja! ¡Me la rifé!_ : Hah! I did it!  
 _Ay, pobrecita_ : Oh, poor thing.  
 _De pelos_ : Cool  
 _Mucho mejor_ : Much better


	4. Chapter 4 : Good News, Bad News

With not much more to do, she decided to close her eyes and hope for the best. With someone in the same room as her, escaping was no longer an option. By now, the attack on Numbani's General Hospital must've been heard all over the world and people may have heard about her going missing. She could only hope that her global locator still worked after what Sombra had done to it.  
She woke up with a bucket of cold water to the face. She jumped and nearly fell down with the chair. « Where are they? »  
It was Widowmaker. She wasn't alone, in the back of the room, the silhouette of Sombra seemed to be lurking, working on the computer and slowly marking things on the global hologram. « I'm starving, she answered.  
\- You'll starve until you've answered. Where are they?  
\- I won't say anything until I'm fed. »  
Widowmaker held up her knife and kneeled to her. « Do you remember that blade?  
\- Your boss won't like to know you are letting me starve. »  
Widowmaker's face seemed confused, the first time she didn't look that menacing. « You don't know anything about them.  
\- You don't have the right to kill me. They've told you that. »  
Her face went from confusion to anger. She turned around to Sombra. « You…  
\- Just feed her already, the girl answered while keeping her eyes on the monitors.  
\- You told her about the boss. You little whore… »  
She walked up to her, expecting to push her against the wall. Sombra turned to face her and did not budge, leaving to a confrontation between the two. « That's the best you've got? » Sombra replied.  
Widowmaker, whose face was so close to Sombra she could feel her breath, replied. « The next time we get on a mission, you better watch your back.  
\- It's nice to be appreciated over here.  
\- You think you're funny?  
\- Just feed the dam girl. She can answer you when she's eating.  
\- She won't give any answer if she's fed and taken care of.  
\- She won't give any answer if she's dead either. People don't give real answer when they're tortured, they give you want you want to hear.  
\- What do you know about being tortured?  
\- You've never been in the streets of Mexico, do you? Although I gotta say, I haven't been tortured myself. Maybe you could enlighten us on the feeling? »  
Widowmaker grabbed Sombra by the collar and pushed her against the wall. « I don't like little flies like you. You're annoying, you think you're entitled to everything, but in the end, you just end up in someone's web and die like the miserable insect you are.  
\- Now you'll want to keep this little fly alive for a bit more, because she's currently finding the location of some more annoying insects for you to catch.  
\- You're lucky that you have valuable information, because you'd already be dead if it weren't the case. »  
Sombra held her own collar, slowly easing the grip on her, then she left the room stating. « I'll go get her something to eat, since you won't do it. »  
Widowmaker watched her leave only to finally come back to Angela, who had been looking at the whole scene without a word. « You're lucky she's on your side.  
\- Last time I've checked, she planted a bomb in the hospital I was working in. »  
She didn't answer, instead slowly walking back to her. « When I'll kill them, I'll come back to you and thank you for providing us with all of this information, wether you cooperate or not, wether you starve or not.  
\- You won't be able to kill them even with their location. You failed to kill them at the museum, you failed to do so on King's Row. The only one you've killed was a peaceful, unarmed monk.  
\- I've killed more Overwatch agents that you can count.  
\- Tracer has bested you once already, she can do it another time and this time, when she learns about what you've done to me, she won't hesitate. »  
Widowmaker looked at her and smile. « Sombra made you way too confident, so much that you're trying to talk back to me. Do you remember who I am? »  
She took her knife and planted it in her right hand, making her scream once more. « I'm not playing with you. I'm not going to let you insult me, unlike that ungrateful bitch. »  
She left the knife stuck to her hand and slowly walked away, closed the door and locked it, then went back while taking the Caduceus staff. « It's a beautiful weapon you have here. It must've taken you a while to make. »  
She put it right next to Angela and removed the knife with another complaint. « Tell me, can it regrow fingers? Let's find out. »  
Angela looked at her in horror as she pulled out a chair and made herself confortable. Her own hand was bloody and trembling, with a gaping wound in the middle, in between two bones. She took the other hand and took her time looking at it. « You won't need that pinky finger anymore, do you? »  
She took her knife and slowly carved the flesh in the middle of her finger, making her scream once more. The pain became unbearable, making her sick.  
She didn't feel the last cut, when the finger finally gave up and fell off in Widowmaker's hand. Half of her pinky finger was gone and her bone was exposed. « Now you won't need it anymore, she said while getting back on her feet.  
Angela couldn't take the ill feeling she had, she threw up whatever was left in her stomach, a disgusting green bile that burned her throat and dripped on her lap. She then felt the beam of light slowly repairing her skin, closing the wound on her right hand and covering the bone on her left hand with a delicate layer of skin. « _Tien, tien_ , your staff cannot regrow fingers, such a shame. You should work on that. »  
She put back the staff and, with her own hand, lifted her head so that their eyes would meet. « Never forget who I am again.  
She saw her clothes all dirty, covered in bile and blood and kept going. « Are you still hungry? »  
Angela couldn't reply. The horrible taste in her mouth was still there. Although her hands were healed, the trauma was still within her and making her shake. Her heart was beating really fast and she was sweating, leaving her clothes stuck to her. « If you give me what I want, I'll let you take a shower. »  
She was too shocked to answer, staring into her yellow eyes. She saw anger, death and misery in them. How could a single human being spread such hatred, such pain and such horrific ideas onto someone? How could she see that that woman was hating her with such passion even though they had barely seen each other before she was brought here? « What on Earth did they do to you, Amélie? » she said. Her voice was trembling, on the verge of breaking up, with tears in her eyes.  
Widowmaker's eyes changed in a fraction of a second. « You tell me. » she said, dropping her chin and making her head collapse on her torso.  
She turned around, breathing heavily, visibly unnerved. « We could operate you… Angela mumbled, we could turn you back the way you were before… »  
Widowmaker turned around in the glimpse of a second, walked to her and hit her with a heavy punch on the cheek. « Do not _ever_ talk about that again. »  
Angela was stunned for a few second, a few teeth were clearly broken and she could feel blood in her mouth. Widowmaker didn't wait for an answer, she held her by the neck and forced her to look at her in the eyes once more. « The next time you try and talk about that, I'll cut your tongue and make you eat it.  
\- I once knew Amélie. I treated you when you and Gerard were sick… But now you're just a shell of what you were. A cold, lifeless shell. »  
Somehow, making her emotional was a relief. She first saw a monstrous cold blooded killer, but now, she could see her weakness. She was angry, but she did notice her voice crack near the end.  
Widowmaker fronded, then took out her knife. « If you though the finger was painful, wait until you see what I have in mind for you. »  
A beeping sound interrupted her speech, making her get up immediately and get on the monitor. A beam of light on the global hologram showed a place in Europe. Her global locator started beeping once more and static could be heard.  
Widowmaker left the room in a sprint, probably to go get Sombra. The static started forming a distinct, heavy and deep voice that Angela could recognize instantly. « _Agent Mercy, are you here? Can you hear me?_  
\- Winston… » she mumbled.  
Her voice was weak, she didn't know if he had heard her. With half of her face slowing inflating and covered in blood, she could barely speak clear sentences. « Winston! » She tried to yell, even though it sounded more like a fainted shout than anything else.  
\- _Agent Mercy? Oh… Angela! Thank God you're here. Are you alright over there?_  
\- No… am not.  
\- _Dear… Athena is looking for your position. Just… hold up a bit longer, we'll be here to rescue you, I swear. Do not give up._  
\- Winston… » she said, but it hardly didn't come out of her mouth.  
Although Winston's voice was low and fainted in the room with the distance of the locator, it warmed her heart to finally hear someone she could trust. « Winston… please… need you.  
\- _Do not worry, Angela, we'll send armed officers and agents to rescue you soon enough._ »  
Angela teared up as she heard static slowly fade away. Then, from behind her, a silhouette came into the shadow and grabbed the locator.  
« Well, good news is, they are coming for you, Sombra said. Bad news is, we don't need to track them anymore since they'll be coming right onto our doorstep. »


	5. Chapter 5 : Gabe

Contact on her skin woke her up. Sombra was untying her feet. She was too tired and too weak to try and understand what was going on.  
She untied her hands and, this time, she started hoping. « Alright, girl, get up.  
\- What…  
\- The boss insisted on making you less… miserable. »  
She tried to get up, but couldn't. She was too weak and her muscles weren't responding correctly after days strapped onto a chair. Sombra had to carry her on her feet and only then was she able to stand up, her entire body trembling and shivering.  
Sombra took out the chair and brought another, longer rope that she used to tie her hands once more, only this time, she was attached to the wall on her left. She couldn't make out all of her actions, only being half awake.  
It was only when she felt cold water touch her body that her senses really came back. Sombra had a bucket and a large hose. « What's the meaning of this?  
\- What does it look like I'm doing? I'm cleaning you up.  
\- Why? Why… are you doing this to yourself? »  
Sombra looked at her, she had a weird grin on her lips. « What's to say I'm not enjoying it? »  
Angela preferred not to interpret whatever that was supposed to mean. She let the water flow on her body, a relief after all these days. Her clothes were completely ruined, with all sort of body liquid stuck onto them that had dried up on her skin. It was a miracle she hadn't gotten sick from all of that already, although she always had a strong immune system. The water flowing through her hair and on her face made her feel alive again, she could wash away the horrible taste in her mouth and, although she didn't like Sombra, the touch on her body and the towel she rubbed on her helped her relax. « You know, my offer's still up.  
\- Do not think that this will excuse what you've done to the hospital.  
\- I know. But sometimes, you gotta make deals with people you don't necessarily agree with to stay alive. Maybe after a few more visit from Widow, you'll understand that a bit more. »  
Angela frowned and tried to forget about Sombra's nonchalance to her situation. « You said you were from Mexico?  
\- I used to live next to Dorado, where the pyramid was built.  
\- I've already been to Mexico. I help your people there. »  
Sombra looked at her from head to toe and laughed. « You helped my people or the one who could actually afford roofs to sleep under at night? »  
\- I helped rebuilt hospitals all over the country after the Omnic crisis. I spend a lot of time helping those in need after the war. »  
Sombra rolled her eyes. « Rebuilding hospitals was more of a mistake than anything else really.  
\- What do you… how could you say something like that?  
\- Where I come from, those things you call hospitals are just ways of draining money from miserable people's pockets. I could never afford to stay in any of those building, even for a night. They kicked me out when I was a kid because I didn't have enough to stay. In Mexico, you find street surgeon for your problems. At least, you see their faces and you know there's a chance they wont screw you up. Plus, you make your own justice where I come from, so everyone from the slum is honest with one another, unlike all of those people in big uniforms. »  
She sighted, turned her over and went under her clothes to rub her back. « You know, when I was younger, I never once see you in person, but I did see what you did all around, with brand new and even more expensive hospitals running all over the place. »  
\- Health care is free where I come from, Angela answered, devastated by what she was hearing. I always made sure that it was free in all of the hospitals I commended.  
\- Oh, it was, as long as your face was on all the posters inside. But then you left the country and they started all over again. They removed your face off the buildings, but there were still a lot of them around the streets. I saw way to many guys from my neighbourhood collecting them for their… collections. »  
The last thing Angela wanted to think about was the sight of young boys discovering their bodies with images of her, she cringed. « But do you know what I though when I saw all of those posters? Sombra added. I though « What an egocentric bitch she must be to put her face like that everywhere. To make sure everyone knows it's because of her they are saved. » That's what I though back in the days. »  
Angela turned around to face her, her wet hair was falling over her face and covering one of her eye, but the other one was giving a dark look onto Sombra. « You think I wanted them to use my face like that? You think I chose to be a mascot like that? They chose me to represent the movement because of what I was doing. I saved thousands, if not millions of lives through my research. I spent so many years of my life into horrible living conditions just so that others could live a normal life. I tested technologies on myself when no one wanted to risk their own bodies. I made a vow to always fight for life and to never give up. To never seek revenge. To never harm anyone unnecessarily. »  
She got closer to her and shook of the hair from her face, their eyes met and hers started watering. « I'm sorry I couldn't help you. I'm sorry I didn't inform myself enough about the situation in Mexico. I should have, and I have made mistakes. That I'm not afraid to admit. If this is how people see me, then so be it. I won't seek revenge and keep filling my duties as an agent of life. »  
She didn't realized how miserable she looked right now, doing such a big speech while she could barely speak complete sentence with half of her face recovering from a punch, with her wet hair all messed up on her head, with ruined clotting stuck to her, wet from head to toe and barely able to stand on her feet. Sombra looked at her and let the towel fall in the bucket. She didn't answer her, looking oddly deranged by what she heard.  
The sound of a door opening violently could be heard in the background, with a strange, inhuman voice following up. « I go on a mission for three days and by the time I come back, you manage to give up our location to the god dam monkey. »  
A dark figure entered the room, with black clothes and a mask that represented a skull. Widowmaker entered right after him, apparently following him around. His voice was menacing, otherworldly. As he got in, he noticed her and stopped, staring at her for an uncomfortable amount of time before simply asking. « What is _she_ doing here?  
\- We were having a tea party, » Sombra answered.  
The man didn't react, instead walking up to the global hologram and grabbing Angela's locator. « They were able to find her with this, and you just let it happen.  
\- Listen, Gabe, you wanted to locate the agents, well now you'll have them all at the same time. »  
« Gabe? » Angela mumbled, but the figure didn't budge.  
« The plan was to find them and eliminate them _separately_.  
\- What? Are you afraid you can't take them all?  
\- They work in team. We risk way more by confronting them directly.  
\- Well, now we'll have to improvise. »  
Widowmaker frowned. « You think this is a joke? How many times are you going to screw us up like that?  
\- Well if you could do your job and actually assassinate people, we wouldn't be there.  
\- You… »  
She took her sniper riffled and aimed it at her. Sombra reached out to get something inside her cloak. « How about I start with you? Now that the Overwatch agents are coming, you're no longer useful to us. »  
Gabe grabbed her by the back of the neck and pulled her next to him. « We still need her.  
\- Excuse me? Sombra asked.  
\- If the monkey is coming to us directly, we need someone to stop his program from breaching our security system.  
\- Athena?  
\- You nearly hacked her last time. You can resist an attack from her.  
\- You don't seem to know what kind of mess you've just put yourself into now, do you? »  
Gabe didn't react, waiting for an explanation. Sombra shook her head. « That's a god program. I won't be able to hack it a second time.  
\- Just do what you did last time.  
\- You don't know how those types of programs work. They can adapt to what they experience. They are highly intelligent and conscious. The only reason I was able to get that far last time was because no one had try to hack it before. Now, that program must have tons of protection, plus she knows my way of operating. I won't be able to withstand an attack from that.  
\- You have to. If she gets inside our security system, then the enemy gets in. If they get in, you die like the rest of us.  
\- Well maybe them you should just do your job and actually kill them. I though they called you Reaper because of your lethality, but apparently you're still afraid of big monkeys and english girls.  
\- Do not start this. »  
The room went dead silent, but the air was heavy, filled with static. « We're in the same boat, Reaper said. We need to make a new plan. »  
He pointed at the door and Sombra rolled her eyes only to exit the room. As he was doing the same, he stopped, then turned to Angela, still attached to the wall. Widowmaker tried to grab his arm to make him leave, but he got out of her reach, stating. « Leave us alone. »  
She looked at him, then at Angela, and left while closing the door. « Gabriel… » Angela said, her voice cracking.  
She couldn't make out what happened to him after what she did, but he looked filled with hatred and sorrow. He walked up to her and simply stared at her. She couldn't make out what he was thinking, with the mask removing any kind of communication they could have together. « Why are you doing this… she asked.  
\- You should know why.  
\- This is not what I intended. You know that.  
\- Doesn't matter now, does it? »  
After his battle with Morrison, she picked him up and did what she could to save his life. It wasn't the first time she had done such extreme procedure, with the closest case being when she saved the Shimada from dying at the hands of their own rivalry. Gabe had already done horrible things at the time, but she was an agent of life, her vow was to save all the lives she could. But now, with this monstrous creature in front of her, she could only imagine the repercussion of her actions. « I don't know why you reacted this way to the treatment… I tried what I could to save you.  
\- You did. But it wasn't enough.  
\- I didn't think you would use it with those intentions. I gave you a second chance, to redeem yourself.  
\- You're a slow learner, aren't you? »  
He grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up to his level. He was strong, with a metallic grip that incrusted itself in her skin. « You'll be the last one to die. I'll make sure you watch it all happen.  
\- I… saved… you. I could've watch you die in the mud… but I picked you up. I worked for days… I though there was still hope… for you… for everyone. »  
She was crying. It seemed like everything she did in her life had been a lie. Everyone had turned on her when she turned her back. How many times could she show the other cheek? How many times would be too much for her? She tried to remove his hand slowly suffocating to his grip. « You had a good heart, but it was too big, Gabriel said. It covered your eyes to the reality of this world. This poor heart of yours is going to be your demise. »  
He let her go and she crumbled on the floor, crying all the tears in her body. A strange black mist surrounded her, then quickly got out of the room from under the door.


	6. Chapter 6 : No Mercy

She couldn't sleep after what happened with Gabriel. As the room went dark and silent, she just stayed on the ground weeping.  
It took her a while to get back on her feet. She was now attached to the wall like a dog on a leash. At least she wasn't on the chair anymore. She could walk a few meters around without being able to reach anything important. Her Caduceus staff was still on the table… maybe she could find a way to get to it.  
She spend a long time trying to untie the nooses on her wrist and the one on her back that went all around her waist, but it was no use, she was only getting weaker over time and the hunger was getting worse. She started feeling painful cramps all over her abdomen as if it was ripping in half. The darkness wasn't helping, though her eyes had adapted to it by now.  
She could still feel the broken teeth in her mouth. No one had though of healing her with the staff since that incident. Although the nano-robots on her skin had put them back together and repaired the damage on the surface of her skin, they were still very sensitive. Her cheek was engorged with blood and forced her left eye to close a bit.  
The door opened and with it the lightbulb, which blurred her vision that had been in the dark for hours already. She couldn't make out who had just entered, but the slow heels on the floor gave her a good idea of who it could be.  
After a few seconds of adaptation, she could see a dark figure in the back of the room. It was Widowmaker, like she feared. She stood up to face her, ready for whatever she was about to say, but the words never came, she was only standing there, looking at her. She could see the light reflect on her eyes like those of a cat, leaving two menacing yellow orbs glowing, staring at her like a predator. « Where are the others? » Angela dared to ask, breaking the silence that had been covering the room.  
No answer, only the eyes trying to pierce her soul. Angela backed up until she was against the wall. « Aren't you supposed to prepare yourself for a fight? »  
No answer.  
« What do you want? »  
Her eyes closed. She could hear her sight as she started to slowly walk up to her, with each steps seeming calculated. As she entered the light of the lightbulb, Angela noticed her face : she had red marks over her cheeks, like claws.  
She opened back her eyes and stared at her from head to toe. « Did they do something to you? » Angela asked.  
Widowmaker quickly got her knife and slashed at her so rapidly she didn't had time to react. It went all over her face, from her nose all the way to her right ear. She screamed more from the shock that the pain and tried to back up, but she already was against the wall.  
She couldn't understand what she was trying to do, but she remained silent, putting away her knife and walking up to her. She held her by her collar and rammed even more into the wall. Her eyes where filled with so much emotions, even Angela couldn't figure out what was happening inside her head.  
Widowmaker lifted her up, then threw her on the ground. She kicked her in the abdomen, making her scream once more. What was she trying to accomplish with such free violence? Angela crawled away, as far as the rope would let her, but another kick made her break the silence once more, this time, she could feel her heels get in the skin near her waist.  
She then walked around her meticulously for what seemed to be an eternity. Angela could only try and anticipate what she was going to do next. She got on her knees and asked. « What's the meaning of this? »  
She receive another punch in the face which threw her on the floor again. She expected a third kick and tried to protect her, but nothing came. Widowmaker got to the chair and pulled it back under the lightbulb, sat down and looked at her try to get up again, but the pain on her abdomen was to much. She had difficultiy breathing and all the wounds in her mouth had reopened. « What did he do? »  
This time, it was her that talked. Her voice was trembling and filled with hate. What did she mean? Was she talking about Gabriel? « I don't understand… » she mumbled.  
Widowmaker got up, grabbed her by a lump of hair and lifted her head. She cringed and tried to stand up to remove the pressure. In her hands, a small device in the shape of a purple insect gripped to her palm and ejected a gas right onto her nose and mouth.  
She started suffocating as Widowmaker let her hair and her head go. She crumbled onto the floor, coughing and feeling like she was strangled. She could feel her throat fill itself with blood and started gaging, lifting herself with her arm and throwing up of the floor a mixture a blood and bile. She could then feel her Caduceus staff slowly closing up the damage to her lungs and her ribs and coughed up the blood that was left. She fell onto her side, looking up as Widowmaker looked at her from so far up. « _What did he do?_  
\- I don't know… » she cried, even though it was barely audible.  
She felt a large pressure on her stomach, Widowmaker had jumped on her and was on top of her. She held her by the neck and onto the floor. « Did he touch you? Did you like it?  
\- I don't know what you're talking about… »  
She punched her again, and again. Angela tried to hold her back, protected herself with her arms, but it only made the attacks worse.  
She felt her arms being pulled off and send onto the floor. Widowmaker held them up there, trying to make eye contact with her. « Tell me you little whore, did you enjoy what he did to you? »  
Angela couldn't take it anymore, she spit up blood in her face, making her release her and cover her face. She then pushed her to the side and crawled away from her, only to receive another kick. She got up in a last effort and rammed Widowmaker against the wall, but she could barely resist her strength. She receive a powerful hit in the gut from Widowmaker's knee, then another one and finally, a more powerful strike from her elbow onto her back made her fall down on the floor once more. This time, she knew it was getting serious.  
She tried to hit her legs, but Widowmaker kicked her once more. She fell face first on the floor, then she felt her jump on her back and hold her onto the floor.  
She tried to crawl away, but her right arm got rammed onto the floor. She heard the blade of the knife come out of it's suit and a horrible pain made her scream once more. When she looked at her hand, she could see the blade had violently been shove onto it, cutting her three outer fingers clean.  
Widowmaker fell onto her side and both panted and tried to catch their breath right next to one another in what seemed like an eternity. Angela didn't have the energy left to try and get away. Every single part of her body was in pain and all she could do was shake violently onto the floor, crying and shouting for help.  
« Someone! _Please_! »  
Her throat could barely take it and she started coughing once more. If only Sombra was there… At this very moment, she hoped that she could try and stop that… that monstrous creature… from trying to do whatever it was trying to do.  
It took even more time for Widowmaker to finally stand up and get her Caduceus staff. She looked at Angela, who was slowly getting back on her knees, then at the staff. A weird look started forming onto her face. She smiled at her. « Not this time. »  
Angela's heart stopped for a second as she used the staff to hit her on the head. Her vision became blurry and she could barely feel the pain as Widowmaker hit her multiple time with the staff. She finally heard a distinctive crack and tried to look up. Her Caduceus staff was bloody, full of bumps and the tip had broken, leaving yellowish, glowing liquid come out and fall on the floor.  
She understood what was happening. Something went horribly wrong at their meeting for sure. Widowmaker was killing her, playing with her until she would ultimately give up on life. She had broken her staff, her bones, her hopes and now, she was on the execution table. « Amelie… please… I beg you. »  
Widowmaker looked at her, let what was left of the staff fall onto the floor, then got on top of her and held her face up. Angela though she was hallucinating… she had tears in her eyes.  
She took out her knife. « I told you never to mention that again… »  
She forced her way inside her mouth and tried to pull out her tongue as Angela tried to beg her out of it. She started fighting back, hitting her with bloody hands.  
Something hit Amelie from the back, but Angela was already slowly loosing her vision. A large mass lifted her up and a mechanical sound could be heard. A powerful strike shed blue light all over the room, with Widowmaker being thrown across the room along with it. Angela couldn't make out whatever happened, only that a powerful being took her in its arms and seemingly got her out of the room. Warm skin and the slow balancing of its gentle walk helped her slowly give up and close her eyes.


	7. Chapter 7 : The Offer

Strange dreams haunted her, with vivid hallucinations and terrible thoughts. She relived the battle she had against Widowmaker, only it seemed worse every time she tried to remember it.  
Once she finally woke up, she found herself onto a bed, with bandages and a pole transfusing blood into her. The layout of the room was unknown to her. Had she been rescued? She tried to remember the large man who took her out of her confrontation with Widowmaker… could it be Reinhardt? She didn't know any other man that would've have such stature, although she was very weak and had started seeing things when it all happened.  
Someone had taken care of her and she could finally think more clearly. At least, she was safe wherever she was. A glass of water was standing on a small table next to her, she jumped on it and try to grab it with her right hand, only to notice and remember the three fingers she was missing to it. Only her index and her thumb were left and it was no use to try and use it for now. She had to use her left hand which felt uncomfortable, but after what she had endure, it wasn't much. If she had truly been rescued and was free to go, at least she knew that mechanical fingers could replace the ones she was missing, one of the few hopes she still had in her.  
She teared up while thinking about what happened. How close had she been to dying? It was only now that she realized what she did. She tried to fight back, she had dark thoughts in her and she were ready to bargain for her life. She had completely given up on her moral code and her word at that very moment.  
She had horrible thoughts about Widowmaker… could she actually live up to her word of never seek revenge after all of that? She tried to clean up her memory. Everything would go back to normal soon and she could get back to the hospital, do her duty as an advocate for peace…  
No. Something was wrong. She knew that she just couldn't get back to work after all of that. She had left a dark trail behind her as she tried to spread good and peace around the world, she had seen it with her own eyes during her time among the Talon agents. To many things were happening in her back, to many bad things had happened because of the way she decided to spread her morality. For once, she started questioning herself, her motivations and her dreams. There was something wrong within them, but she couldn't make out what it was.  
On her right, a door opened, with a large stature entering the room. The man was tall, with dark skin and a large metallic arm…  
She recognized the Doomfist gauntlet, it only meant one thing.  
« Agent Mercy. » He said as he closed the door behind him.  
He was wearing a white tuxedo which had the right arm cut out to let the large mechanical piece stick out. His face wasn't the one of a monster, nor was it the one of an evil man. He simply looked… normal.  
He sat on the end of the bed, with Angela retracting herself closer to the other side. She didn't know what to say, but at least, she knew that her journey wasn't over.  
« I would like to start by apologizing, he said. I had clear order for agent Widowmaker and agent Sombra regarding you, but it does seem like they disobeyed them. I'll make sure they do not disobey again. »  
Angela was confused. He was one of the leader of Talon… Why was he apologizing for any wrong that he would've done. « You're the one who took me prisoner in the first place.  
\- Indeed, in was me who ordered they find you and take you back here. I did not expect they would attack Numbani's General Hospital to get to you, however.  
\- They are terrorist, and so are you. What were you expecting?  
\- I had orders not to hurt you or your surrounding.  
\- And why was that?  
\- I wanted to talk to you, Mercy. »  
His voice was soothing, calming. Angela couldn't make out her emotions. He was one of the leaders of Talon, the one who ordered her kidnapping and the one who had broken through Numbani's prison and attacked the city which made her come to it's aid in the first place. Why would he want to talk to her? And about what? « What do you want? »  
Doomfist sighed and got up. « I've heard a lot about you and your accomplishment around the world. You have a rather impressive resume regarding your technological breakthroughs.  
\- And why would a man who besiege a peaceful city be interested by a doctor's breakthrough in medicine?  
\- I've also heard about your unclear allegiance to Overwatch and the many problems that your moral code had with the choices of the organisation. »  
Angela thought she understood what he was trying to tell her. « You want me to work with you? You won't be able to convince me. I will never work for Talon.  
\- I won't ask you to join Talon. Nor will I try to convince you that I or any of it's members have done good in the past.  
\- Then what are you trying to tell me? »  
Doomfist turned around to face the wall, bringing his arms behind his back. « When I was in Numbani's prison, I had a lot of time to reflect on my previous decisions. I will be the first one to admit that I have not done what would normally be considered good. »  
He turned around and looked at her in the eyes. « I did, however, always fought for what I though was the best for our civilisation.  
\- Destroying cities and killing innocent people will not help our society grow.  
\- Because of my actions, the Numbani's new OR-15 robots are now more powerful and safer than ever. The hospital you work in had never been in better condition, at least before the bombing, and the citizen were even more united through what they had endured. My actions helped the city grow just like your work helped put it back together, even better than before.  
\- But how many had to suffer and die for this to happen? »  
Doomfist sighted. « Only through conflict can we evolve. It is what I had in mind when I laid siege on Numbani for the first time. And I thought I was right, since what I did helped the city grow. Think about your work, Doctor Ziegler. If it weren't for the Omnic crisis and for the many wars all across the world that you have been through. You wouldn't've ever developed all those new technologies since they were not needed. Conflict forces evolution, making us stronger than ever.  
\- But if we did not have any conflict, we would never need such technologies.  
\- Tell me, Angela… is it O.K. for me to call you Angela?  
\- Yes.  
\- Then tell me, Angela, which one is more believable : A world where world peace is achieved and constant, or a world of conflict mixed with eras of peace? »  
Angela sighted at the thought. She acknowledged with a sing of the head. « If people stop evolving and try to live in harmony, those who do not share their thought process will become better than them, surpass their technology and defeat them. It is inevitable in the world we live in. »  
He got back to her side and sat on the bed next to her. « I joined Talon because they used my path to get what they want : they use violence and create conflict to achieve their goals while you chose Overwatch for their own way of achieving their goals : through the idea of world peace and heroes fighting evil. The only problem that I have finally understood in prison was the following : although they had the same way of achieving their goals, they did not have the same goal as I did.  
\- And what is your goal?  
\- It is the same as you, Angela : I want to leave the world better than it was when I entered it. Not only that, I want it to be at it's best. At first, I thought that conflict was the only way to push this idea, but then, I heard about you.  
\- Me?  
\- Yes, you. You have been known to clearly object to your superior and your friends over the use of your technology and it is clear why : you do not have the same goal as they do, only the same idea as to how it should be deployed onto the world. »  
Angela was shocked to see this figure, the Doomfist himself, being so philosophical over her. Although she did object to Torbjörn's use of her technology when developing agent Ana's sniper riffle, and even though she helped the Shimada brothers and Gabriel with no concern of what Overwatch had to say about it, she never thought of the reason why such clash of ideas occurred.  
« I am a different man than when I entered the jail of Numbani, Angela. I heard of what you did to Gabriel Reyes and you were right. Everyone deserves a second chance. I only ask you to give me one.  
\- I… don't know.  
\- It's alright. I won't force you to decide right now. I needed years in prison to realize this.  
\- We cannot work together. I will never let my coworkers hurt others, even for the sake of progress.  
\- I know, and I won't be able to work with you as long as you remain passive and simply try to rebuilt damage that has already been done. I simply think that, since we do share the same goal, working on a better way of achieving it will be more effective if we both try together. I am ready to change, but are you? »  
Angela shivered at the idea of working with Doomfist. She felt like she was betraying the world, siding with the wrong side. But her feeling couldn't prevent her from seeing the reality : he wasn't wrong.  
Doomfist pulled out a small electronic chip, took her hands to gently put it in between the fingers of her left hand. « I figured you'll know how to use this. When you make your decision, use it. »  
He closed her hands together and got off the bed, slowly walking away. « In a few hours or so, this building, which is already surrounded by the police, will be attacked from all sides. Agents of Overwatch will get in once agent Sombra open the doors to let them in. Once this is done, you will be rescued by Overwatch. I will let you do what you want, for I cannot force you to work with me. This needs to be coming from both sides. Goodbye, Angela. »


	8. Chapter 8 : Safe

A strident alarm resonated through the building. Angela had been alone in the room for an hour at least, thinking about everything that had happened in the past few days. She held the electronic chip tightly against her heart, wondering if she was thinking about the right thing.  
A click coming from the door brought her out of her head. She tried the handle and, to her surprise, it was unlocked.  
As the alarm and fainted gunfire could be hear all around the place, she got out of the small room she was in and found herself alone in a tight corridor. In front of her, a few doors were visible, but one of them caught her eye : the window onto it and the color of the light coming from it ringed a bell in her head.  
She got to it with slow steps : she was still very weak and had difficulties walking. She opened it and with it came the lightbulb in the middle of the room she had been kept in for the past few days. The chair was on the floor, which was all dirty and covered in blood, bile and other body fluid she had spilled onto it during all that time. A horrible stench was still present when she got to close to it.  
She went on the table and on it, she found what she was looking for : her blaster, her belt and what was left of her Caduceus staff were there, left behind. The staff had the tip completely shattered and the metal that made the rod was bended, Widowmaker really did it her with powerful blow to be able to break it as much. A small note was written on a paper glued to the staff. « _Sorry about that. Hope you'll be able to fix it._ » She took it with her and armed herself with her pistol. She only then noticed her global locator, which was vibrantly flickering light on the back of the room, next to the computer monitor. She took it as well and turned around.  
The wall on the other side of the room was covered in a splash of blood and it was only then that she remembered what caused it. Doomfist had sent Widowmaker across the room and onto that wall when he saved her. The strength of the gauntlet was a sight to behold and it made Angela shiver… was Widowmaker dead? Doomfist mention how he made sure she wouldn't disobey him again. One thing was sure, she wasn't in the room, nor did she seemed anywhere around. If she were somewhere, it would be out there fighting the police trying to get in.  
With her staff and her blaster onto her, she got out of the room slowly and tried out the other doors, a small staircase led onto a floor on top of hers.  
The place was dark, the lights seemed to have been shut down. She used her staff to help her walk as a new alarm sounded all over the building. She heard footsteps coming her direction and hid next to a wall : a small group of masked men ran across the corridor and onto the staircase she just went in. She hoped they didn't come to get her. She tried to accelerate her paste, but it was to painful.  
Gunfire were heard behind her, along with screams, then complete silence. She hid away, but as the door opened, she sighted at what she saw : a steady metallic stature covered in blood with green light coming from all over it's body. « Genji… »  
The man saw her and ran to her with small and silent steps. She kneeled to her to look at the bandages and her staff. Without a word, he took her in his arms and ran away with her.  
She held onto him, closing her eyes… it was finally over.  
As he got onto a new corridor, he stopped and put her back on her feet, only to say quietly : « Hide in that corner, there are people coming.  
\- Genji, there is no need to fight them, we can… »  
He gently pushed her onto the dark corner and took out is smaller blades. He ran away and gunfire started pouring away. She could heard the clear sound of blades slashing quickly through flesh and saw blood being spilled onto the floor and the walls. She didn't look away from it, she had changed since the last time she saw such violence.  
Genji retracted his blades and walked back to her, only to stop and stay completely immobile. Angela did the same, whatever he was doing, he knew better than her.  
He turned around in the blink of an eye and threw his blades onto a wall, or at least Angela thought it was the wall. A scream could be heard and the figure of Sombra materialized next to the wall, with blades stuck into her waist. She fell down and Genji took out a knife and ran to her. « Genji! No! Wait! Not her! » Angela shouted.  
Genji stopped right in front of Sombra, with a knife ready to open her throat. Sombra looked at him in horror, then at Angela who tried to get up and run to them, only she fell down with the pain in her abdomen getting worse. Genji put back his knife in his mechanical arm and ran back to her, leaving Sombra alone. She put her invisibility cloak back and disappeared without a trace.  
He took her back in his arm and they walked up to a new floor. « We are getting closer to the exit. Over. » she said, seemingly talking into is earphone.  
Something shot his leg and he fell onto the floor with Angela being thrown further away. A dark mist surrounded the place with soldier coming into the room. Bullet started being sent around the corridor as Angela crawled to safety in a corner, with Genji jumping onto her and using his body to protect her.  
The shape of Reaper started materializing behind his soldiers as police men were trying to fight them back. At the end of the corridor, a blown up wall let a gaping hole in the building and the light of the day could be seen, with a large energy shield covering war vehicles firing at them. They were in the middle of the brawl.  
Reaper noticed them and Genji got back up, with his leg sparkling and twitching. He got his katana out of it's cover and readied himself to the attack. Gabriel got his shotgun up. « Don't think I'll let you both escape that easily. »  
He got shot in the back by small energy pellets and a figure twitched around the field. Tracer got next to them. « C'mon, now! Let's go! »  
Genji jumped onto Reaper and the three got into the fight, with gunfire all around the place, Angela could only hope that none of them tried to get where she was hiding. A large mass jumped into the melee, putting down a large barrier and grabbing her. « I've got Mercy! Winston shouted in his earphone. »  
As the battle raged on, Winston jumped out of the place with bullet following them, he landed behind Reinhart's barrier and ran away with Angela in his arms. The battle wasn't over yet, with bombs being dropped and constant gunfire.  
Winston put her inside a large vehicle and looked at her wounds. She had received a bullet to the arm and one in the stomach, although she could barely feel them. She started having difficulty breathing. A mask was put on her face to help her and she was sent away from the battle. Winston held her head and looked at her. « It's alright now, Angela. We are going to get you back on your feet. _You're safe._ »  
She looked at him and teared up. She try to reach out to his face to touch him, but her arm was trembling and her muscle objected to her. Nurses and robots got onto her and started treating her into the vehicle as the sound of the battle faded away. The light of the sun and the color of the sky though the windows of the vehicle made her smile and cry out what she had left. This time, they were tears of relief.


	9. Chapter 9 : End

Cold water flowed all over her body. It was the first time she could really take a shower since the incident.  
She closed her eyes and let the water purify her skin. She reached out to her face to remove the hair from it, then looked back at her hands. Everything seemed wrong with three fingers missing from her right hand, but at least now she knew that she could have it repaired soon.  
After her rescue, she had been sent on a plane and flew off to Watchpoint Gibraltar, where the rest of the Overwatch agent later rejoined once their mission was over. She had a small room with a window that lead to a large, beautiful cliff by the sea. She watched the morning sun with clean clothes and a cup of warm coffee, comfortable in large bed sheets. She couldn't feel safer, surrounded by Overwatch agents that cared for her in one of their own base of action, but at the same time, her own thoughts made her ashamed of being here. How could she, the one who was thinking about Doomfist and his offer, be in Watchpoint Gibraltar sipping coffee in a comfortable room? She should be thinking about this in her own laboratory, or at least in her apartment back in Numbani.  
Someone openend her door with a knock. She instantly recognized the hairstyle. « Lena.  
\- Hi there, love. How you doing? »  
Angela smiled at her and Lena got in the room. « We're happy to see you back, you know.  
\- I'd figure that out. »  
She laughed and got to her only to give her a big hug. « I missed you, a lot.  
\- And so did I, Lena.  
\- You should come downstairs and say hi to everyone. They're all here.  
\- I'll be there in a moment. »  
Angela turned around to look at the morning sky and took a sip of her coffee. Lena noticed her missing fingers. « God damn, that sucks, does it?  
\- I'd prefer that over being thrown across time and space, » she replied with a smile.  
She laughed again. « Good to know you're still here, under that sad face of yours.  
\- It's just a matter of time before I can truly be back.  
\- You known who would easily cheer you up? Reinhardt! He's down stairs with the others and he can't wait to see you.  
\- I'm sure he is.  
\- Alright then, I'll leave you to it, just make sure you eventually come down, alright?  
\- Do not worry about that. »  
Lena got up and looked at the sky just like her. « Angela… you know… once you'll see Winston, he's gonna have to talk to you.  
\- I'd figure.  
\- It might not be the most pleasant thing if you know what I mean.  
\- Does he want to interrogate me on the incident? To file a report?  
\- You already know about that?  
\- It's the normal procedure, I know Winston's gonna have to do it with me eventually too.  
\- Well, good to know you're already in. No hard feelings on it, right?  
\- Of course. We have to file the report, I'm a doctor, remember? I had to do these all the time before. »  
Tracer acknowledge and got to the door to leave her alone, only to turn around before leaving. « You know Angela, if you need anything, need to talk to someone… I'm here.  
\- I know, just like everyone. Do not worry about me.  
\- I know, it's just… remember that time on King's Row?  
\- Your first mission?  
\- Yeah… You were always here to make sure I would fit in and that I would keep up with the others. I wanna make sure that you can fit in once again with all of us. Just know that I'll be here.  
\- Thank you, Lena. »  
She smiled at her, they got out of the room, leaving Angela with a horrible gut feeling. She didn't know if, after spending the day with all of her former coworkers, she could ever think about considering Doomfist's offer. She could just forget about it, forget that it all ever happened and simply move on, but something simply wasn't right with that idea. Every time she thought about just going back to normal, she would look down on her fingers to remember.  
She finally decided to go down the stairs and everything seemed blend in her mind. Reinhardt lifted her up to the roof, Torbjörn was talking about helping her with her fingers and her Caduceus staff while Tracer made sure to always be with her. She had to describe all the things that happened to her to Winston for his report, stating her injuries and the people she saw. She mentioned Doomfist, but didn't talk about their conversation.  
« I'll let you go for now, Winston said. Go get some rest. Tomorrow, We'll talk about our new plans now that the Overwatch agents are reunited.  
\- What do you have in mind?  
\- We have to find Talon and put an end to it. They tried to take you away just like they did with Gérard Lacroix and his wife Amélie. They are a threat and we need to make sure they are no longer in our way. »  
She nodded and he took his hands. « I'm sorry it took a kidnapping for us all to bound together again, but this time, we'll be stronger, we'll be smarter and we'll know how to react. »  
As these words came into her ears, the only thing she could understand was « _Only through conflict can we evolve. » It made her shiver._  
She got into her room and watched the sun set on the other side of the sea. She could barely remember what happened throughout the day, her mind had been all over the place.  
When the lights shut down and Watchpoint Gibraltar became silent, she opened her personal computer and inserted the chip. The monitor flickered and various codes were displayed onto it until finally a screen would display two clear options : « Yes » or « No »  
She looked back onto her desk to find a picture of the Overwatch team from way back, right after the war had ended. It was a time of great achievement for her, when she used her new Valkyrie Swift Response Suit in battle and developed her staff. But these days were only that, old days, other times.  
She clicked the « Yes » option.  
A map was displayed on the monitor, telling her exactly where to go. Her heart started beating heavily once more and the idea of leaving during the night. But it was the only time that she would be able to leave without a trace.  
But still, she couldn't dare simply leaving without explaining herself. She got everything she needed, then used the camera on her phone to record herself… How could she start such a speech?  
« Hi… I just wanted to… to thank you all. You saved me and you were all there for me just like I've been in the past and for that I will always be thankful. But you won't be seeing me tomorrow because… I'll be long gone. »  
She sighted and realize she was tearing up. « This is tearing me apart to say but… I have thought about Overwatch in the past few days and I think… well… I think it's best that it does not come back. We've done great back in the days but now… we spawned horrible things and the good we did is simply being pushed back. People won't forget that and we simply can't just act like it didn't happen. We need something new… a different approach. »  
She took a deep breath and took all the courage she had left in her to say : « I'm leaving, and I don't know if I'll ever come back. I will meet Doomfist and we will try something different. He asked me to give him a second chance and I could see in his eyes that he was sincere about it. He made me an offer and I've accepted it. If that offends you or if you do not agree with that, I can understand. I know he has done many bad things in life, but I truly believe there is good left in him. We share the same goal and we will try to make it work… together. »  
« Just… know that I will come back to you if you need me. I am not your enemy, I simply won't be working for Overwatch anymore. I just need time by myself without being watched or protected to see if this is a good idea. I have faith that if I do not agree with what he does, I will be free to leave. »  
« Again, I want to thank you all for everything. I am in your dept and I will make sure that when time demands me, I'll be back on your sides. I simply need to give this a chance. If I'm just walking back into another trap and simply making my case even worse, I won't be mad at you for choosing not to risk your life again to safe me… I'll understand. I'm taking a huge risk, that I know. »  
She took some time to breathe, holding back tears was making it difficult to speak. « If everything goes well and we start making things better, I'll recontact you and explain things a bit better, maybe even in person, if you wish to see me again. For now, please give me the time I need to figure what I wish to do. I am lost, I need new directions in life, new ways of going in those directions. I just hope you won't hate for for that. »  
She whipped away the tears on her cheeks and simply ended by saying « I love you all. I want you to know this. »  
She ended the video and broke out in tears on her desk. It was happening, she was going to leave Overwatch.  
She packed her bag, uploaded the video onto Winston's computer so that he'd find it in the morning, then left without looking back. She took one of the small boat that allowed them to leave the island and quickly disappeared into the night.


	10. New Story

There is a new story that will follow the same universe/plot as this story, but from a different perspective  
Overwatch : Phantom : s/12658693/1/Overwatch-Phantom


End file.
